Humphrey council talks park hours

The Humphrey City Council has killed its consideration of a “no sag” pants law after City Attorney Sharon Fortenberry questioned its legality.

Sarah Morrissmorris@stuttgartdailyleader.com

It’s hard to regulate morality.

The Humphrey City Council has killed its consideration of a “no sag” pants law after City Attorney Sharon Fortenberry questioned its legality.

“I’m not touching that because it is just like women who wear low cut blouses,” she said, adding that it was also “opening a can of worms.”

However, park hours are an issue that could be addressed. The Humphrey City Park is open during daylight hours with visitors required to leave by 9 p.m.

Alderman DeWard Barnes Jr. said the 9 p.m. curfew for park visitors is being ignored with drivers pulling their vehicles onto the property. Beer bottles are also being found on the property.

City officials, with Alderman Michael Hodges absent, did unanimously approve to lower the speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 15 on Harrington from South Division to Cypress and Cypress from Harrington to West South Avenue.

In May, Alderman Jimmy Carr said speeding was getting out of hand on the two streets with police unable to write tickets because the speed limit was not posted. The streets are too narrow to warrant a faster speed limit.

The ordinance’s passage took affect immediately with speeding citations to be issued once speed limit signs are posted.

In other business, Mayor Alice Black said city officials would learn this month if they’ll get state highway aid through the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Three of the city’s streets — Hickory, Mulberry and South Division — all qualify for the program.

“If that goes through that will be a good thing for us,” Black said. “Because we all know the shape of our roads.”

The city’s culverts are getting an update Tuesday with state inmates in town to clean out culverts and pick up trash. Black said they are still working to get someone in to clean out ditches.

A third ordinance is also facing rewriting to include how high a resident’s grass must be to receive a citation. Black said eight letters were sent last week to residents needing to mow their property or clean it up.

“Most people sent letters on weeds and debris take care of it,” Black said, adding that one citation went to court last year. It was dismissed since the ordinance did not state at what height a property’s grass must be to receive the citation.

The work follows an annual spring cleanup on May 17-18. Black said, “We had a wonderful turnout. Better than we’ve ever had.”

Financially, the city is still struggling. Recorder/treasurer Robert Blessing said a water rate study has been requested with a hike in water bills expected in the future.

It was a problem that Black said city officials have tried unsuccessfully to ward off. “We are struggling to pay our bills,” Black said.

Black said the city has challenged the 2010 Census that decreased the population from 806 residents to 507, which “is killing us financially.”

She said, after a study, city officials believe 25 houses, or about 100 people, were not counted. They are now waiting to hear back.

“We just keep our fingers crossed that that can help us with our state turnback,” Black said.Blessing said he has also turned in the federal forms the city was lacking, but was still waiting on state forms.

In May, the city received a notice from the Arkansas Department of Finance stating it had not received reconciliation for withholding and an IRS notice stating it has not received the 941 Form for the quarters of June, September and December 2011. The city is still working to get their police cars in shape.

One of the city’s two police cars finally has its broken radar back in working condition although Alderman Jimmy Carr said it is still obsolete in that there are no longer parts that can be purchased for it. The second car is still not completely fixed with the remaining part on back order.